The Sun. — London, England, 1864-04-25 00:00:00

Fitratford-on-Avon Tercentenary Festival, LONDON. On Saturday a very feeble and, under almost all its aspects, a most ridiculous attempt was made to celebrate the birthday of our great poet, by what was called in the handbills a " Working Men's Shakspere Jubilee and Great National festival." To say that it was not a "jubilee" nor a " great national festival," would only be to tell the public exactly what they expect, for their recent experi ences of Shakspere Committees has led to a most judicious distrust of their plans ever turning out anything but the reverse of what their concoctors originally wished or intended. It was not a Work ing Men's Jubilee, for the procession, all told, did not include 500 members, who were of the usual idle stock of banner-bearers, or the harmless idiots who, in green velvet and feathers and point, will insist—as on the occasion of Garibaldi's entry—on exhibiting their lunacy before the gaze of hundreds. So far from being a National Festival, it was not even a local one, and the pathetic entreaties of the handbills inviting the co-operation of " benefit and trade societies, brass bands, corporate bodies, foreign workmen, and the poet's admirers," fell on relnc- taut and unsympathetic ears as far as compliance with these adjurations was concerned. So also did the request " that householders along the line of route would give effect to the scene by the display of flags and by the ringing of the bells in the various parish churches, in order that the day might be made as it ought," &c. Not a flag was shown except the time-worn and now rather illegible banners brought by the few processionists themselves ; not a bell was rung, and the procession was constantly reminded that it was not a national holiday by having to open its thin ranks for the passage of prosaic carts and 'busses. In fact, it was a dull and tame glair throughout, and nothing so much redeemed its dul- ... ness as its general tone of absurdity. The demon stration " fell through," as our American cousins says, for want of some living principle, some motive power, greater than the mere accident of a tercen tenary. Notwithstanding this 300th anniversary, Shakspere is not a whit more admired this year than he was last year, or will be next year, and though nations may go to war for an idea, and do so, if the truth were known, much more often than is generally admitted, yet a jubilee for an idea, or a procession for an idea, seems after Saturday's ex. perience to be out of the question. The procession was ordered to assemble in Rus sell-square at 1 o'clock, and at that hour disjointed and very fragmentary elements of processional grandeur did in fact begin to draw together. But the process of assembling was exceeding intermit tent, and it was only semi-occasionally that the nucleus was reinforced by a stray banner or by some " extra grand," whose panoply of orders would have formed a respectable stock-in-trade for any whitesmith beginning business. Every addition, however, seemed welcome, and, to do them justice, the members of the procession appeared to enter as heartily into the fun of the display as even the little boys of the neighbourhood, only, of course, not in so candid and demonstrative a manner as to their expression of opinion. It was 2 o'clock, how ever, before preparations were made for starting, those entrusted with the ceremonial waiting to the last minute apparently in the hope that some accession to their numbers would drop in. Such an addition was, in truth, sadly needed. We are sure we are well within the limit in saying that the procession was short of 500 persons, and certainly short of 300 yards long, though in its ranks two charity schools" ware thinly scattered to make up a show." As a demonstration it was very weak ; as a pageant it was weaker still, some 20 banners comprising almost all its claims upon the notice of the passer-by. Altogether it formed an assemblage which might be fairly classed as among those with which Falstaff would have avoided Coventry. " Save me from my friends" is an old and very for cible truism, bat after the experience of Garibaldi's entry and Saturday's jubilee, " Save me from a pro cession" is likely to become a proverb more forcible still. This esiemblage, or procession, or whatever it may like to be called, was marshalled some six abreast, and headed by the band of the Havelock Volunteer Corps, marched leisurely through Bed , ford-square, Tottenhanrcourt-road, Hampstead , road, and High-street, Cmthn-town, to Primrose. hill. At Primrose-hill, which it is stated upon autho rity is to be henceforward known as Shakspere's hill, anything to the contrary notwithstanding, arrangements had been made for planting a " People's Oak" in honour of the people's poet. This tree was given by her Majesty for the pur pose, and was a fine young tree of some 15 or 20 years' growth, taken, we believe, from Windsor Forest, with. the earth around its root undisturbed. The ceremony of planting took place at the' foot of the hill, the tong slope end summit of which were pretty densely thronged with spectators. The ar rangements for the planting were as simple as could well be conceived, and bore a whimsical resemblance to the primitive rules and regulations which obtain at prize fights. There was the tradi tional bottle of water (brought from the Avon to christen the tree), there was an outer and an inner ring, the occupants of which latter were made to sit on the ground, so that the outer might see, and when Mr. Phelps was brought for with cheers, supported under each arm by a friend, it only re quired the appearance of Mr. Fechter from an op posite corner to make the fistic illusion complete. Instead, however, of proceeding leisurely to un drees, or at least to toss for corners, Mr. Phelps only looked at his watch, and explained the neces sity which would compel him to depart at four o'clock, an hour then near at hand. Whereupon it was proposed that the ceremony of theoretically planting the tree should be gone through at once, for practically it had been planted long before, To this course, however, others took a mild objection, observing that the day was due to the Foresters' pro cession; that they had brought it all about, that they had made it a success, &e., remarks which appeared to have the weight that facts, if they were cor rect, certainly deserved, and it was at once decided to wait till the procession came. This it did at last, though not till after many false alarms had been caused by the itinerant bands of music being heard in the distance, and not till after serious doubts had been expressed as to the probability of,' getting at the contents of the bottle of Avon water, caused by the fact of its being firmly corked, and the usual repugnance of the spectators on such occa sions to admit that any one carried a corkscrew about him. Eventually, however, these difficulties were got over, end the procession began to pour into the enclosure just as the obdurate cork was extracted, and the contents of the bottle safely de canted into a large watering pot. When the processionists had all gained the hill, and when Colonel George Cruikshank,- who headed the guard of honour of the Havelock Volunteers, had with his officers taken their places in the inner ring, the proceedings commenced by Mr. Moore addressing Mr. Phelps in behalf of the Working Men's %hakspere Committee, and asking him to plant the tree in honour of England's poet. The committee felt, acting for their countrymen at large, that to no utter hands than those of Mr. Phelps could be consigned the work of that day, and when the next century came round he doubted not their descendants would admire the example their forefathers had set them, and that they would plant another tree, or do something more to enshrine the memory of the immortal dramatist. To this Mr. Phelps, who v?„ greeted with the utmost enthusiasm, both on his arrival and when he spoke, replied simply as follow s "Mr. Moore, I beg to accept most gratefully and humbly the task which the Working Men's Shakspere Committee have assigned to me this day. I think the sight around me is one of the noblest and one of the grandest spectacles that ever met the human eye. In the name of the workmen of England I plant this oak, and trust that it may live and flourish and reach maturity. May it, in the words of our groat and glorious poet, become " An oak, whose boughs are mossed wi t h age, " kiad high-topped, bald, with dry antiquity.' A letter was then read from Miss Eliza Cook, pleading indisposition as the cause of her absence, and deputing a l a dy named Bankes to christen the tree and speak on her behalf. This Mrs. Bankes did, in a short and exceedingly well-worded speech, the only defect of which was that, as might have been anticipated, its delivery was marred by the nervousness natural to a lady addressing so large and so public an audience for the first time. At the conclusion of her address she plentifully sprinkled the tree from the water of Avon, and christened it the " Shakspere Oak," amid continued cheering, during which enthusiastic devotees toot as much of the water of Avon as they could conveniently carry away with them by drinking it out of the can. Mr. Henry Marston then recited the following ode, written for the occasion by Miss Eliza Cook : Joyous, yet solemn, is our purpose here : Claiming, alike, glad smile and tender tear. The smile—to know our Jubilee is given To him who left on earth some rays from Heaven. The tear—to think that he who spread such flame, Passed from his place too soon to learn his fame. Yet smile and tear are hallowed as we breathe The name of Shakspere o'er the bays we wreath; While glowing spirits in that name unite, Blending Love's festal with Devotion right, The world is wide—yet all the world will own That England's Shakespere fills its noblest throne; That Wisdom, Wit, Mirth, Feeling, Mind, and Soul Rule 'neath his sceptre-touch from pole to pole. bweet Nature tuned his harp of myriad strings, To rouse an echo in all human things, Possessor of the strange, magician power— Heir to Creation's vast and mystic dower, He held no honours from our schools below; God gave him more than monarch can bestow; For Genies—simple, mighty, and sublime — Stamped him—the Priest and Poet for " All Time," Here do we gather—sacredly to raise Our shouts of triumph and our songs of praise. Here have we met, in warm and earnest bands, To twine his Glory-crown with toil-worn hands. Here do we help to stud his diadem With Labour's sweat-drop—England's richest gem, Here do the people write with blazing pen, " Shakspere was born of ' England's Working Men.' " Well may our forehead's flush—our hearts rejoice— While the loud boast is heard from every voice : For all the tides of all the Caesar's blood Fade by the side of Avon's rippling flood : The heroes of Rome, Persia, Greece, and Troy, Must yield the palm to Stratford's peasant boy; And England's Princes bend with high regard To swell the homage paid to England's Bard. Three hundred years—long years—have rolled away Since first he saw the world he came to sway ; And unborn millions—proud as we are now— In untold ages still will crown his brow. Time's " Curfew Bell" will ne'er ring but his fire ; For Truth—Eternal Truth—illumes his lyre. And while Truth dwells in man's responsive breast bhakspere shall live—the matchless and the blest The effect of the ode we s greatly aided by Mr. Marston's excellent delivery. The proceedings, which had been enlivened throughout by the ad mirable music of the band of the Hon. Artillery Company, were then brought to a close by a brief address from • Mr. Marston, and the spectators be gan to disperse. It appears, however, not to be in the nature of any Shakspere celebration this year to pass off as it is intended, and the Working Men's Garibaldi Reception Committee, having accordingly on Sa• turday sought to improve the occasion of there being a crowd ready made to hand, at once proceeded to hold an "indignation" meeting on the bill for the purpose of " protesting against the manner in which General Garibaldi had been hurried away from England, and to demand further explanations from the Government as to the cause of his hurried departure." At a little before 6 o'clock the committee, to the number of about 60 or 79, came on the ground and took up their position on the top of the hill amid loud cheers. The proceedings, which were very brief, commenced by calling Mr. Beales to the chair, and he at once began by expressing his dis satisfaction at the mysterious manner in which the visit of their friend General Garibaldi had been cut short. He believed that the mein and true facts connected with the departure of the General had been suppressed, :and, with great respect for Mr. Gladstone and Lord Shaftesbury, he did not think they had stated all they knew. The speaker had proceeded thus far when an in spector of the S division, supported by a strong body of police, made his way to the centre of the meeting, and the inspector informed the chairman that his orders were not to allow any political meet ing to take place on Primrose-hill, and added, in reply to a question, that if the meeting was persisted in he would be compelled to use force to carry out his orders. Upon this strong hint great groans and hissings arcs) among the crowd, which now num bered about 4,000 persons, but which, beyond this noisy ebuiliti , nof feeling, was very orderly. Mr. Hartwell, the secretary of the committee, implored the meeting to be perfectly quiet, adding, amid loud cheers, that the suspension of the meeting by th►e police would reflect move discredit on the Go verment than anything that could have been said by the speakers, or any resolution they may have carried, however strong. Mr. Cremer then, without making any speech, moved the adjournment of the meeting, which was seconded and carried, and the committee prepared to retire. By this time, however, the police had been largely reinforced, and their somewhat rough manner of pushing the people to make them " move on" created at last a feeling of anger in the crowd, which soon began to show itself, and nothing but the constant appeals of the committee to preserve order prevented a serious breach of the peace. Eventually the committee left the hill amid loud cheers, and proceeded to the Adelaide Arms, Chalk Farm-gate, where they held a meeting, attended by about 60 m-mbers, Mr. Wiseass in the chair. The following resolutions were there unanimously adopted ; That this committee, representing the trade, friendly societies, and other organised bodies of working men of London, protest in the strongest manner possible against the fircible suppression by the police of the Garibaldi meeting on Primrose-hill, as an unjustifiable interference with the liberties of the people and.the rights of public meeting. That a deputation be appointed from this committee to wait upon the Home Secretary to ascertain whether any special instructions were given by the Government or the Police Commissioners to prevent the above meeting, and whether it is intended by the Government to prohibit open air meetings of the people, having a political object, and that the city committee be invited to co-operate with the committee in sending a similar deputation from theirbody." In the evening there was a grand Shaksperian musical and dramatic fete at the Agricultural-hall, at which the ode was again recited, and at which some music and excellent singing were given. But, though the admission was only a shilling, the hall was very poorly attended; in fact, the entertain ment was almoSt a failure. With these efforts ended the attempt in London to got up a Shaks pere jubilee and great national festival, and this generation have only the comfort of knowing that another attempt will not be made in their time. STRATFORD -ON -AvON, Saturday Night, The town did not completely wear the appearance of a festival till yesterday evening, when the principal streets were rendered gay by the suipension of banners on both sides of the way. Though Stratford is a small place, its streets, it may be observed, are remarkably. wide, and therefore singularly well adapted to popular demon strations. This afternoon, at two o'clock, the festival actually began with the banquet, and while the bells of the church of the Holy Trinity rang a merry peal, the doors of the Pavilion were thrown open, and the guests and spectators were alike admitted. As I have already said, the Pavilion, which stands in a paddock adjoining Southen's-lane, was erected to serve the several purposes of a banquetting hall, a ballroom, and a theatre.; This afternoon the front of the movable orchestra, which stands at the back of the Balle, and consequently faces the stage, was occupied by the table of honour as signed to the president and the more distinguished guests, who were thus raised on a dais of unusual elevation. Im medately behind them was a table for the reporters of the press, who were thus nearer to the speakers than any of the other guests, though it is questionable whether the po sition was altogether advantageous for hearing, and the seats behind these were assigned to the sub-vicar, the pa rish clerk, and the boys of the choir, by whom were exe cuted the very few pieces of vocal music by which the Fes tival was enlivened. From the ochestra, which presented a curved front, and with the seats behind it occupied nearly three sides of the dodecagon, a series of eight tables ex tended to opposite sides of the building, placed, of course, at right angles of the table occupied by the President. These covered the arena, which will be the pit during the theatrical performances, and accommodate, the majority of the guests. Other tables were, however, placed on the stage, the centre of which had been raised, and even the boxes on the grand tier, which is on a level with ,the pit, were converted into supplemental banquet-rooms, the cloths being on the front ledge. The Earl of Carlisle, president of the f es ti va l , w h o w i t h the vice-presidents, the committee, and the other persons connected with the proceedings, had already been received at the Town-hall, and had inspected the site selected forithe erection of the national monument, arrived at the Pavilion soon after 3 o'clock, and was hailed with loud acclamations. A company of rifle volunteers had been ranged on each side of the entrance from Southen's-lane, that the guests might be duly honoured, the band playing the old country air, " The Warwickshire Lasses." At about half past 3 o'clock the work of eating began, the eaters numbering, say 700, and there could scarcely be imagined a more brilliant picture than that presented to a spectator, who, from an elevated place, could contemplate the apparently innumerable tables, all occupied, though not inconveciently crowded. However, it was necessary to take several points of view to appreciate all the scene. The persons who sat at the extra tables on the stage were backed by a decoration representing a landscape, and thus to a spectator on the dais presented the appearance of a snug party at a fete champetre. On the other hand, the spectator who from the centre of the pit looked straight towards the president and his row of illustrious guests, curved almost into a semi. circle, had a picture of quite a different descrip tion. Nor should I give a correct notion of the impression produced by this picture did I not refer to the personal ap pearance of Mr Flower, the Mayor of Stratford, who was regarded with universal admiration, as a figure singularly symbolical of an Elizabethan celebration, Though seated at some distance from the chair, he was at once conspicuous almost abovo all others, from his fine, strongly marked features, and his luxuriant white hair and beard, looking more like a patrician burgomaster of the 16th or 17th cen tury, even still more like a Doge of Venice, when the Doge was a Doge indeed, than a Mayor of the 19th century. Much had been done to indicate by outward marks the purpose for which the banquot had been given. The Earl of Carlisle and several of the guests wore a tercente nary badge, manufactured Messrs. lfulloney and John son, of Coventry, and approved by the committee. Sta tuettes representing various characters from Shakspere adorned the tables, and miniature busts of the poet were placed even in some of the dishes. The following bill of fare is too characteristic not to merit insertion : " BILL OF FARE, " Ladies, a general welcome'—Henry VIII, 1, 4. " Pray you bid these unknown friends to us welcome, for it is a way to make us better friends, more known'— Winter's Tale, Iv, 3. " Roast Turkeys—' Why, here he comes, swelling like a turkey-cock'—Henry V, v, 1. " Pea Fowl—' A. very, very, pea. cock'—Hamlet, in, 2. " Roast Fowls—' There is a fowl without a feather'— Comedy of Errors, 111, 1, "Capons—' Item, a capon, 2s 2d'—l. Henry IV, 11, 4. "Ducks—' 0 dainty duck I '—Midsummer Night's Dream, v, 7. " Boar's Head—' Like a full-acorned boar'—Cymbeline, ri, 5. " York Hams—' Sweet stem from York's great stock'—l. Henry VI, 11, 5, "Tongues—' Silence is only commendable in a neat's tongue dried'—Merchant of Venice, I, 1. "French Raised Pies—' They are both baked in that pie'— Titus Andronicus, v, 3. " Mayonaise Salmon—' Epicurean cook sharpen with cloy less sauce his appetite'—Anthony and Cleopatra, 11, 2. " Mayonaise of Lamb—' Was never gentle lamb more mild' —Richard, 11, 1. "Braised Lamb and Beef—' What say you to a piece of beef and mustard. A dish that I do love to feed upon'— Taming the Shrew, iv, 3. " Roast Lamb'—' Come you to seek the lamb here ?'— Measure for Measure, v, 1. " Galantines of Turkeys and Fowls-- , The Turkish pre paration'—Othello, 1, 3. "Lobster and Mayonaise Salads—' Salad was born to do me good'—ll. Henry IV, iv, 10. " Dressed Lobsters and Crabs—' There's no meat like them I could wish my best friend at such a feast'—Timon of Athens, 1, 2. "Potted Meats—' Mince it sans remorse'—Timon of Athens, iv, 3. " Potted Lamperns and Lampreys—' Front the banks of Wye, and Sandy-bottom'dSevern—l Henry IV, 111, 1. "Aspics of Eels, Soles, and Salmon—' Cry to it, as the Cockney did to the eels when she put them i' the paste alive'—Lear, it, 4. " Dessert Cakes, Jellies, and Creams—' The queen of curds and cream'—Winter's Tale, iv, 3, " Tourtes, Meringues, and Charlottes de Russe—' They call for dates and quinces in the pastry'—Romeo and Juliet, iv, 4. " Bee Hives—' For so work the honey bees'—lienry V, I, 2. "Fruit—' Hercules did shake down mellow fruit'-,Corio limns, Iv, 6. "Dinner Rolls—' The Roll where's the Roll Henry IV, tit, 2. " Dressed Potatoes—' Let the sky rain potatoes'-.•Merry Wives, v, 5. "Bitter Ale—' And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbour : Drink, and fear not your Henry VI, ti, 3. ' Champagne, Hock, Claret, Port, and Sherry—' He calls for wine ; a health,' quoth he'—Taming the Shrew, was received with deafening applause and clapping of hands. He was unwilling, even in giving that toast, to divert from the immediate purpose of the day, but Shakspere himself supplied, in part, a most fitting description of the character of the monarch now happily reigning over this country,- 4, She shall be A pattern to all princes living with her, And all that shall succeed. All princely graces, (Cheers.) With all the virtues that attend the good, Shall still be doubled on her; truth shall nurse her, Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her." The toast was drunk amid loud cheers, and the national anthem followed, sung by an efficient corps of vocalists. The CHAIRMAN next gave " The Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family." He said that with respect to the illustrious couple who headed the toast, it would not be inappropriate to resort to the Court of Den mark for a description of them. (Hear, hear.) He would characterise them as— " The expectancy and rose of the fair State, The glass of fashion and the mould of form ? The observed of all observers." :Loud cheers.) The CHAIRMAN next rose and said :—Ladies and gentle men, I come now to what we sometimes hear called " the toast of the evening"—yes, and the toast of the year ; and I may with truth call it the toast of my life. (Cheers and clapping of hands). This may give a hint to me before I say one word more, that I ought in some way to account for being where I am, I will make no excuse for my own un worthiness, because, if ve come to that, who can be deemed worthy to speak in behaiof Shakspere ? (Applause.) Plato might write of Socrates, but who could be the interpreter of Shakspere l I believe that lam wholly indebted for the signal honour I am nov possessed of to the circumstance of my having filled the office of Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests Wien some negotiations were being carried on respecting th) purchase of Shakspere's house in this town, which apparently established a kindly feeling between me and the inhabitants of Stratford-upon-Avon, which may have naturally led to their recurring to their previous recollections it connexion with the present celebra tion, (Hear, hear.) it my case, it is a distinction which, as it was the last I should have anticipated for myself, I also thought the last Wit ought to be declined. I pass on to worthier themes. I heartily approve the idea of this festival. (Cheers.) I ,hink the leading events, epochs, and persons of this our earth require their occasional comme moration. Life is stagnant enough men and women are commonplace enough, to avoid the risk of such dis turbances cropping up too frequently. Least of all can the nation which boasts of Shakspere fear to misplace her homage; and as I think it right that such a celebration should be held, I am not less clear that the right place to hold it in was Stratford-upon-Avon (loud cheers)—his own Stratford-upon -Avon—that Stratford-upon-Avon around which all we know of Shakspere—all except his undying works, is exclusively clustered—here, on about the most central ground of his own fair England, where I cannot but fancy that the whole impress of the scenery and rural life around !s so unmistakeably English that we like to be re minded how home-like and special and insular was the cradle of that poet for whom we claim the mastery over the universal heart of man, the password over the earth, and the many worlds beyond it. We are following, too, the gocd English rule of precedent, which was set for us by the celebration at Stratford in the last century, mainly under the auspices of him who semis to - I.)e universally ac knowledged, out of the long line of illustrious players of either sex, dead or living, who ha - vo distinguished, and, in some instances, identified thenaselVes.witi the leading cha racters of Shakspere, to have held the-Wen:lost place as the interpreter of Shakspere—David Garrick. (Cheers.) But since that well-timed homage of the England of the 18th century to the memory of Shakspere, with what colossal stridessetiibl still l:hawanseddh fame Garrick arer rpi representation ehni advanced traatsieoi hetisit:t:mß playsarut estimation f b( m eno a e n vae k r: i )l n a d i f of i n b \rsdfitFst voh n uep y ieerhndneeeira o t t ocerdt nmn h u lieet eai:on e h r si f iledtkaoe c s D ieaisdten l aw w mnp u lefipida n m werodt eth l ahne o sshegrgi n paaoernoarmer s nnewgiarento a tetesaeusli n snfsoattry d tihutyltsiiii tchanno t enw i nengra n ooearta s wasfedhms e l noh,l t l eteonshdah a gpubtkeb d ererorusea d rdymkpttiss i ilebtettomhi spoken rniaf o oarewreu n awnybohth s twtaeifoi irosr o mhcll eint f itahsevtsaan D leeoei crrdltrf r eaffehos y .ajet:efehs:s d idwsstedr e :Cohhe n arvoci , innke o e ori ginal text, and let me add the scrupulous attention to the s h of the representation, supplies in our days. Then abroad, literature the ed of . A.s to Germany, I believe her boast is that she reveres, un derstands, and fathers him even more thoroughly than outo selves. (Some laughter.) I believe I may cite Goethe as the most representative name in the varied and teeming range of German literature; how does he designate Shakspere ? lbwi endeavour emoaui tslsd a much nbthtoao beyond ldefine aretvh ery requirementsoci a r l gauge m msoyfa r aktwhs worshipper sce genius ne befit plpike ero wouldf at t h i bga this, s bs p le e yit r :the immortal think r u ilt theadel as the greatest traveller in the journey of life. Happily any shrine who would retranscendent, range he o e t o a nf d o m ht i its only n h tahl a ry t ier thissyf still merits sxer unequal,bit esloawn admittedd hbai and beauties, o t ta i h i a s snt: while so n me ho they ee w n level, but that of several of his contemporaries and successor. But take him in his height, and who may ap risodhi hanesentfmey:°: htetruelaahhaiooici Irgravlmoutkrithsli otellondelinaY,rtn.tgvrhasuh'oasettketta t the previous period, the public taste ap proach him ? Presumptuous as the endeavour may appear to classify, there would seem to be a few great tragedies which occupy summits of their own—" Macbeth," " Ham let," "Lear," "Othello." I feel we may take our stand within that unassailable quadrilateral—(cheers and laugh ter)--and give our challenge to all the world. (Cheers,) I feel indeed tempted to upbraid myself when I think of all the outlying realms of strength and comeliness which I thus seem to leave outside; the stately forms of Roman heroes, the chivalry marshalled around our Plantagenet Kings, the wit of Mercutio, Beatrice, and Falstaff, the maiden grace of Imogen and Miranda, Ariel the dainty sprite, Obe ron and his elfin court, the memories which people the glades of the Ardennes, the Rialto of Venice, the garden of Verona, giving to eaeh glorious scene and sunny shore a stronger lien upon our associations than is possessed even by their own native lend. (Cheers.) It is time that I should call upon you, in the right of all the recollections which must throng in your owa breasts far more copiously and vividly than I couk hope to present them to you—by the thrill you have felt in the crowded theatre, amid all the slendour of dramatc pageantry—by the calmer enjoyment cf your closet leistre—by the rising of your soul when the lines which breath and warm have led you to recognise and adore the Giver of such gifts to mon, to join nee in drinking, not with the solemn silence which a more recent death might have enjoined, but with the reverential love and the admiring fervour duo to the day and the man—" The Me mory of Shakspeio." This toast was f o ll ow ed by prolonged cheering. and de- This to c doit lerg y m; li marked honour, ande the glee, " Thou monstrations of the liveliest enthusiasm, the wh ole com p any in soft flowing Avon," was sung. Sir L. PALI. the): proposed " The Archbish o p s ,the Bishops, and the smaiedethinegksnwewheroef landoieosccaansidongewnhtleen their presence at festive . man congregated were unwelcome, and n ever could it be more welcomethan when they were met to offer homage and praise to that great name, rendered illustrious by the noblest sentiments which could emanate from the mind of a human being, (Cheers.) The Archbishop of Duman' responded to the toast. He observed that neither himself nor any of his brethren had come there as a mere formal act, but they felt that there was an intimate connection between all true art, and therefore, especially, between the art of Shakspore and the faith of which they were the ministers. They felt that if art be dia. severed from that faith it would ultinattely parish. In the na me of himself and his b re th ren he thanke d the company for the kind manner:in which they had received the toast. Mr. Mr. BYNG proposed " The Army, Volunteers," observing that he supposed ,e he had been se- Novyomanry, lected to give it on account of the singular and melancholy reason that he was the oldest Volunteer in :the three king doms. (Cheers and laughter.) Glen. AINSLIE returned thanks for the army. The Earl of SHREWSBURY acknowledg ed the toast on be half of the navy ; an d added that, an Englishman, and, still more, as a Talbot, he felt he could not forbear being present at a festival designed to honour the memory of the immortal man, from whom he was lineally descended. He concluded by proposing " The Lord -Lieutenant and magis trates of the county," and highly eu l o gised the exertions raadeiby Lord Leigh to relieve the distress of a neighbour ing town, Lord LEI= returned thanks for himself and brother magistrates, and expressed his obligations to the noble earl in the chair for honouring the festival by his presence, and thereby giving additional lustre to the present brilliant meeting. (Applause.) Sir W. FRASER said he had a toast to propose so vast in its extent and comprehension that he thought it might re quire ten hours' reflection to make a speech even of ten minutes on it ; but he believed that the present audience would make allowance for one who only knew late last night that he was to give the toast, and consequently had not had time sufficient to do justice to it. The toast he had to give was "The Drama," which he would simply propose without attempting to point out the beauties of the Greek and Latin drama, for his experience of Euripides and Terence rather suggested painful recollections (laughter), or the merits of such plays as " Othello," "Hamlet," and "Romeo and Juliet," for if they had not studied them for themselves, nothing he could say would be sufficient to ex plain them. (Hear, hear.) The toast was drunk with d cheers. Mr, CRESWICK , wh o was warmly applauded, sai that upon that day, when the sacr ed memory of the great high priest of the drama was receiving the homage, not only of a nation, but almost of an entire universe, he, a humble pro fessor of the poet's art, found himself, in the absence of more distinguished persons, called on to discharge a duty which required the most gifted eloquence to do it justice, but, at the same time, he felt it a gratifying circumstance that in this age of liberal advancement it was not necessary to defend the claims of the drama. (Applause.) Those were now generally admitted, but, as they all knew, such was not the case when the first wail of the infant Shak spore's voice was heard in the yeoman's house in Stratford. (Cheers.) Then the drama was almost extinguished by 111, Z. "Purveyor—Mr. B. U. Ilifautford, 78, iligh-street. Worcester." In the course of this morning Professor Mae Muller presented at the Town hall a German ad dress, to which more special reference is made in the account of the banquet, and accompanied the presentation with the following remarks: — Mr Mayor and Gentlemen of the Town Council,—The city of Frankfort, the birthplace of G,:ethe, sends her greet ing to the city of Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of Shakspere. The old free town of Frankfort, which since the day of Frederick Barbarossa has seen the Emperors of Germany crowded within her walls, might at all times speak in the name of Germany. But today she sends her greeting, not as the proud mother of German Emperors, but as the proud mother of the greatest among the poets of Germany, and it is from the very house in which Goethe lived, and which has since become the seat of the "Free German Institute for Science and Art," that this message of the German admirers of Shakspere has been sent across, which we are asked to present to you, the Mayor and Council 61 Stratford-on-Avon. When honour was to be done to the memory of Shakspere, Germany could not be absent, for next to Goethe and Schiller there is no poet so truly loved by us, so thoroughly our own, as your Shaks pere. He is no stranger with us, no mere classic, like Homer, or Virgil, or Dante, or Corneille, whom we read and admire and then forget. He has become one of our selves, holding his own place in the history of our literature, applauded in our theatres, read in our cottages, studied, known, loved, "as far as sounds the German tongue." There is many a student in Germany who has learnt English solely in order to read Shakapere in the original, and yet we possess a translation of Shakspere with which few translations of any work can vie in any language. What we in Germany owe to Shakspere must be read in the history of our literature. Goethe was proud to call himself the pupil of Shakapere. I shall at this moment allude to one debt of gratitude only which Germany owes to the poet of Stratford-on-Avon. I do not speak of the poet only, and of his art, so perfect because so artless, I think of the man with his large, warm heart, with his sympathy for all that is genuine, unselfish, beautiful, and good ; with his contempt for all that is petty, mean, vulgar, and false. It is from his plays that our young men in Germany form their first ideas of England and the English nation, and in admiring and loving him we have learnt to admire and to love the people that may proudly call him their own. And it is right that this should be so. As the height of the Alps is measured by Mont Blanc, let the greatness of England be measured by the greatness of Shakspere. Great nations make great poets; great poets make great nations. Happy the nation that possesses a poet like Shakspere. Happy the youth of England whose first ideas of this world in which they are to live are taken from his pages. That silent influ ence of Shakapere's poetry on millions of young hearts in England, in Germany—in all the world, shows the almost superhuman power of human genius. If one looks at that small house in a small street of a small town of a small island, and then thinks of the world-embracing, world quickening, world-ennobling spirit that burst forth from that small garret, one has learnt a lesson and car ried off a blessing for which no pilgrimage would have been too long. Though the great festivals which in former days brought together people from all parts of Europe to worship at the shrine of Canterbury exist no more, let us hope, for the sake of England more than for the sake of Shakspere, that this will not be the last Shakspere Festival in the annals of Stratford-on-Avon. To this cold and critical age of ours the power of worshipping, the art of admiring, the passion of loving what is great and good are fast dying out. May England never be ashamed to show to the world that she can love, that she can admire, that she can worship the greatest of her poets. May Shakapere live on in the love of each generation that grows up in Eng land I May the youth of England long continue to be nursed, to be fed, to be reproved and judged by his spirit I With that nation, that truly English, because truly Shaksperean nation, the German nation will always be united by the strongest sympathies; for, superadded to their common blood, their common religion, their common battles and victories they will always h. vo in Shakspere a common teacher, a common benefactor, a common fund. THE BANQUET. The banquet commenced about the time we have already mentioned, under the presidency of the Earl of Carlisle, who, upon assuming the chair, was loudly cheered by the company. To his right, at the principal table, sat the Arch bishop of Dublin, the Bishop of St. Andrews, the Vicar of Stratford, the Mayor of Stratford, Lord Houghton, Lord Wrottesley, Hon. F. Ponsonby, Sir R. Hamilton, Sir L. Palk, Sir E. Wilmot, Mr C. M. Caldecott, Rev, J. C. Young, Mr Creswick, Mr E. A. Cooke, Dr. Ward, Professor Leitnes, and Dr. Breekham. On the left of the chair were, Lord Leigh, the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord Lyttelton, Right Hon. C. B. Adderley, Sir J. B. East, Hon F. Byng, the Lord Mayor of York, lion. E. C. Leigh, Hon. and Rev. J. Leigh, Sir W. Fraser, Mr M. Caldecott, Sir A. H. Elton, Bart., Sir Michael Shaw Stewart,General Ainslie, and Mr. T. Baldwin. The usual loyal toasts were, of course, the first that were proposed, but they were ingeniously illustrated by quot6t times imparting to them a peculiar connection with the fes tival of the day. The noble CHAIRMAN, OH rising to propose Tll4 Queen, THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 25, 1864. clouds of bigotry and prejudice; but a sun rose from out a small house in Stratford, dispelled those clouds, and gave to the drama of England its strength and vigour and en during brightness. (Cheers.) Who could forget the noble works which the child then horn into the world had done for the world ; and who could forget that kings, princes, conquerors, and the mighty wielders of the pen and the sword had entered with reverence the little home of Shak- spere and the neighbouring chancel which contained his dust ? (Applause.) These things spoke with a trumpet tongue that the prejudice formerly existing with respect to the drama bad been dispelled. On such an occasion he trusted that the confession of a little extra pride would be pardoned on the part of one who had the happy privilege of making the study of Shakspere's matchless works the pleasant labour of his life (cheers) ; and he could not but believe that at this present day the hearts and minds of all his fellow students must be moved by similar emotions, (Continued applause,) He could assert from ex perience that whatever cares, disappointitientsi or rebuffs they met wish in their career they found their greaiea solace, support and streaght—eave that which religion gave in the remembrance that their art was one for which great Shakspere wrote, which gent'e Shakspere practised, and which good Shakspere loved. (Applause.) To a reflecting mind it appeared strange that the Great Creator should have inspired the greatest genius, humanly speaking, not to counsel them from the senate, not to judge them from the bench, not to admonish them from the pulpit, but to teach, move, soften, mould, and instruct them from the stage. (Cheers.) It was a happy and fortunate thing for him that he could invoke Shakspere's sacred memory to vindicate the fact that that great genius had ennobled the drama. (Applause.) He thanked the company in the name of his profession for drinking their health; he thanked the people of Stratford for what they were now so nobly doing, and he thanked the Festival Committee for the honourable position accot ded in the programme to the actor's art, (Great al plans.) Actors would best show their appreciation of the honour done them by their deeds, by the conscientious and honourable fulfilment of their mission. When Shakspere first drew breath thay had barely escaped from the miracle plays of Coventry and the mysteries of the travelling monks. Now they had passed through three centuries of glorious names, and perhaps for both dramatic author and actor they had culminated. If so the drama might languish, as it had done before, but could it ever die ? No, while Shakspere lived it would endure until— " The cloud capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit shall dissolve ; And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind." (Loud cheers.) At this period of the enfztainment, an address from the Free German Hochstift, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, for the spread of sciences, &c., to the mayor and corporation of Stratford-upon Avon, was read by Professor Leitner, of King's College, London, who was attended by Dr. Karl Dammann and Mr Heinrich Brock haus. Professor LEITNER observed that it was both right and fitting that the reasons should be given why the deputation regarded the Stratford Corporation as representatives of the nation of Shakspere, and themselves as not altogether in appropriately speaking in the name of the nation of Goethe. With the highest civic body in the town which had given birth to shakepere, the many associations of his name must make a worship of the intense veneration which all English men felt for his mighty genius, or else it were vain that a great man should live and labour and bequeath a legitimate source of pride to his country for all succeeding if in his own town he were not regarded with gratitude. Here the house of Shakspere had been rescued from the stranger's hand with powerful efforts and disinterested self-sacrifice, and in Germany it had been deemed a duty to acquire the House of Goethe, and in that house the Hochstift met, and that house with its varied appliances they threw open to every aspirant for knowledge and literary usefulness. A fellow-feeling had thus been engendered between them by a community of action with regard to their respective national poets, and what had been conquered by private energy had been ratified by public sanction. (Hear, hear.) The Hochstift might, therefore, worthily represent the nation of Goethe. They also sent their address to Stratford upon-Avon, because of the performance of a corporation, while committees for special celebration were apt in their very nature to be of ephemeral existence. The Hocbstift met in Frankfort, the possible capital of a united German empire, a free city, whose noble and enlightened citizens were the pride of Germany, a free city and a national body that was worthy to address a free people. Let, then, the present greeting be considered as the greeting of Goethe's country to that of Shakspere, and as a tribute to his mighty genius. The Germans also grudged to England the accident of his birth. (Cheers.) His influence first roused the Germans to a consciousness sf their powers, and showed them that there was a race of emulation to run with a kindred nation, and this race they believed they had not disgraced by want of diligence or by prejudice, (Ap plause.) The following is a translation of the address, the reading of which elicited much cheering. The document was beau tifully emblazoned and ornamented with representations of Shakspere's house at Strattord-upon-Avon, and Goethe's house at Frankfort : "The Free German Hochstift, for the spread of sciences, arts, and general enlightment, from their seat at the house of Goethe. " Lends its voice to t he whole German people in congra tulating by this document the people of Great Britain on the tercentenary of the birth of William Shakspere, and ad dresses this letter to the Mayor and Council of the town of Stratford-on-Avon. " Once as their blood so was the language of the nation of the Saxons on both sides of the German Ocean, the same sprung from one stem, two separate branches developed into a separate and perfect growth. "On the one side was formed that English tongue which enabled the greatest poet and painter of the human heart and its passions, whose cradle stood on the banks of the Avon, to give expression to the creations of his mind. On the other side grew that German mother tongue in which Goethe, the greatest among the host of admirers of Shak spere, described with such graphic touches, as before him no other mortal bad done, the macrocosm (the universe) toge ther with the microcosm (man), " At one time our country sent to Britain's shores that heroic youthful band, who came as deliverers, and vic toriously established themselves against the invasion of Latin races and influences by the foundation of a new Saxon nationality. Shakspere's poems, in return, restored to the mother home of Germania at a time when in a cen tury of civil commotion they were almost forgotten in their own country, old Teutonic virtue gained their footing as emancipators and expellers of Latin corruption, and finally gave birth to a new heroic youth, but this time, one of intellect, which forced its way through storm and op pression into light, and grouped the brilliant host of our writers round the bold forms of Goethe and Schiller. As England's sons, wherever they be on this globe, so do all Germans, in their middle empire of Europe, gratefully praise the one and only William Shakspere. May the kin dred of blood once more assert its power by uniting in one fellow-feeling all the members of the nation of the Saxons on this or that side of every sea. This we wish by our greeting—' Hail to the memory of William Shakspere I Hail to the town of Stratford-upon.-Avon I Hail to the people of England.' In the name of the Executive of the Hochetift, at their seat in Goethe's house. " TOLGER, President. K ee RE rs ' Vice-Presidents. n.E Y DEN, S CHIDECK, Secretary." The Mayor of ST RATPORD-UPON AVON (Mr Flower) said it was a pride to him and to the corporation to receive the address just read from a kindred nation, which had so great a sympathy with Englishmen in honouring the genius of Shakspere. He promised that the address should be depo sited in Shakspere's house and preserved there for future generations. (Cheers.) The corporation of Stratford was not a juvenile body ; for it was 600 years old—but though he and other members of it were getting into the sear and yellow leaf, they had new recruits, and he trusted that the corporation would last as long as England existed, in which case the present address, together with many other docu ments deposited in Shakspere's house, where it would be seen by thousands who visited Stratford from all parts of the world, and be handed down to many succeeding gene rations. (Great applause.) Sir R. HAMILTON proposed the health of the Chairman, the President of the Festival, The toast was drunk with unanimous applause. The CHAIRMAN returned thanks and proposed, " The Poets of England," coupling with the toast the name of Lord Houghton. Lord HOUQHTON, in acknowledging the toast, said that when he looked through the list of toasts and found that after the eloquent speeches they had heard already, they were to hear three more speeches all about the poets of Eng land, Ireland, and Scotland, which were to be followed by the glee, "Ye spotted snakes," he did not think that last connexion very flattering—(laughter) —but the kindness of the present audience took away all bitterness from his mind, and, therefore, he was able to say that he was most grateful for having been invited to that splendid spectacle. He only wished that the poets of England had been collected round that table, and that they could have chosen the wor thiest among them for the honour they had done him. Nevertheless, as his humble name had been connected with the toast, he could say that at an earlier period he would have been glad to have occupied some minutes of their at tention by illustrating the relation of Shakspere to the poetry of the country; but at the same time he was quite consci ous that he could have performed the task but imperfectly at whatever time he had risen to address them. They no doubt recollected the Arabian tale of the great genie who came out of a small jar and spread over the whole heavens with his strength and power. That was wonderful, but the astonishment was greater still when this genie was seen to descend into the jar again. (Laughter.) That was something like what he was asked to do—to concentrate into a short after-dinner speech an exposition of how the mighty genius of Shakspere expanded over the whole world. (Hear, hear.) What were called the poems of Shakspere consti tuted a portion of his less familiar writings, and though re markable for unsurpassed ingenuity, and interesting on ac count of biographical facts connected with them, they never would have made Shakspere what he was. That great man, however, applied himself to dramatic composition; his stage was the world ag hie dram4irpersonsv amkirtd, An idea of the immense power of Shakspere may b 3 conceived from the observation of Goethe, the great German poet, who said that he thought that the reading of Shakspere was most depressing to any one having a productive genius, because he must despair of doing anything himself. (Hear, hear.) Goethe meant thereby to say that this mighty Shakspere, this wonderful and immeasurable genius, had given to English poetry a variety such as no other litera ture had attained. One thing which Shakspere had ime parted to the poetry of England was its entire reality, enabling it to be free from that mere factitious character such as was seen in the literature of foreign countries. The poetry of England of each generation reflected the march of fillet generation, and was the history of truth and of man kind. (Cheers.) This was the greatness of William Shak spere, that he was, above all, .a really simple min, and the only true record they had of him was in the great Spenser : "And he, the man whom'Nature's self had made, To mock herself, and truth to imitate, Our pleasant Will, ah 1 is dead of late." That was the character he lett behind him, and Ben Jon soil said,— " I loved the man and do honour his memory, on this side idolatry, as much as any ; he was indeed honest and of an open and free nature." This character and the intense reality of his productions rendered his works as true to-day as they were 300 years ago, and as they will be 300 years hence. (Cheers.) The gentle loves of Romeo and and Juliet, and the passions dis played in the great tragedy of Lear were as true now as yesterday, and politicians might learn in the tragedies of Coriolanus and Julius Csesar, as in the Parliament of the present day, true wisdom and politics. (Cheers.) The toasts of the Poets of Ireland, Scotland, America, and all nations were respectively given by Lord Wrottes ley, Sir E. Wilmot, Mr. Adderley, end Professor Leitner. The next toast was " The Mayor and Corporation of Stratford," in reply to which, The Mayor of STRATFORD (Mr. Flower), said that they had done all they could to give England the opportunity of paying homage to the memory of its greatest poet. (Cheers.) They had had a most successful meeting that day for which he thought that thanks were greatly due to their noble chairman, and he trusted England would now do its duty and assist at the festival next week. (Loud cheers.) The assembly then broke up at half-past 7 o'clock, the Earl of Carlisle being corciblly cheered on the termination of the proceedings. At 9 o'clock there was a brilliant display' of fireworks by Mr. Darby in an open place adjoining the town. Sunday Ariel:loon. In the Tercentenary Festival the Church takes a Pon epicuous part. Two sermons to be preached, one by the Archbishop of Dublin, the other by the Bishop of St. An daew's, were set down in the official programme among the / items of the week's occupation. The archbishop delivered his discourse this morning before a congregation that filled to overflowing the church of the Holy Trinity. His text was taken from the Epistle of St. James, chap. i. v. 17 — "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above," and his sermon was not only virtually but ostensibly an elaborate Eulogy of Shakspere, that lasted for nearly an hour. The numerous attendance at the church was a satis factory proof that the Shaksperians had not forgotten the Creator in the creature; and he proceeded to show how the great creature of the festival had been a good gift, a real blessing to Englishmen. There is no doubt that the sermon when printed will be found fully worthy of a careful ana lysis. The Cathedral service was performed at Strafford Church, and the congregation did not leave till nearly two o'clock. The Mayor and the other heads of the corpora tion as they left the sacred edifice were preceded by a mili tary band. A collection was made after the sermon, with the offertory service, for raising contributions towards the repair of the chancel. BIRMINGHAM, Here the Tercentenary vas, in various appropriate ways, duly celebrated. The Mayor (Mr Wm. Holliday) enter. tained 150 of his fellow-townsmen at breakfast at the Royal Hotel. On this occasion the first instalment of the Shake pore Memorial Library was presented to the Mayor, on be half of the town, by Mr M. D, Hill, Q,C., the Recorder, who delivered an eloquent oration. It is intended that this library shall be deposited in a special room in the Free Library of Reference belonging to the Corporation. It is designed to collect in the library copies of all the editions of Shakspere's works, whether printed in English or tran slated in foreign languages, and the library will also include, so far as it can be obtained, a complete body of Shaksperian literature—commentaries on the works of the poets, also works illustrative of his plays, and of the contemporary literature of the period. Th' collection is presented to the town on condition that it shall a; ways be kept separate from the general library—shall be augmeoted from time to time by the Corporation, and shall be open freely to all Shak spere students, from wherever they may come. A large number of rare and valuable books has alreacis - been pre sented, and a considerable sum of money subscribed for the purchase of others. The last donation—and one of the most valuable—was announced by the Recorder yesterday—vi 4.9 that which Mr Charles Knight intends to present to the library, the collection of books used b 3 him in his prepara• tion of the various editions of Shakspere's works. It should be added that the Birmingham people do not seek to obtain donations in money from any persons not resident in or near their own town, but they would thankfully receive from book collectors or publishers any copies of suitable works which such persons might be willing to contribute to the newly formed Shakspere Library. Such contributions would be received and acknowledged by the Mayor, or by Mr Samuel Timmins, one of the hon. secretaries to the library, a gentleman whose name is well known to Shakspere students, LIVERPOOL. The Tercentenary celebrations in Liverpool have been worthy of the occasion. The mayor, with great liberality, gave on Thursday evening a grand Shaksperian ball to the principal inhabitants, and on Friday evening opened the theatres and all the chief places of amusements, where the entertainments were made to assume a Shaksperian charac ter. To these places tickets were applied for by employers of labour, and distributed among the hands. By this method all overcrowding was avoided. Applications for more than 60,000 tickets were received. At the ball the mayor entertained upwards of 1,400 guests dressed in all varieties of Shaksperian costume. The dresses were rich and tasteful, and the entertainment, which took place in St. George's Hall, far exceeded any similar occasion in the provinces. On Friday evening a Shaksperian soiree, admirably arranged by a committee of local gentlemen, was given in St. George's Hall, and attended by 1,800 guests. The proceedings included the inspection of a rare collection of editions of Shakspere's works, portraits, and other articles of interest connected with his history. A concert of Shak sperian music, an exhibition of Pepper's ghost illusion in "Hamlet," "Macbeth," &c., excellently managed; six im pressive tableaux in the large concert hall, by the compa nies of the various theatres in the town, and illustrating the play scene in "Hamlet," the incantation in " Macbeth," the statue scene in the "Winter's Tale," the trial scene in " Henry VIII.," the forest scene in " As You Like it," and a grand final allegorical representation in which a bust of the bard is surrounded by the combined characters. During the last tableatm a prologue was read. The even ing's entertainment concluded with a series of dances. On Saturday performances were given at the theatres in aid of the Shakeperian Fund, and a bhakaperian concert was pro vided at the St. George's Hall. At Birkenhead, on Satur day, the new Free Public Library was opened, and in the afternoon an oak was planted in the park by Mr. Peacock a working man, as a memorial by the working classes of the town of the Tercentenary Celebration. THE THEATRES. The performances at Drury-lane were all Shaksperian, consisting of two scenes from " Twelfth Night," the " First Part of Henry the Fourth," and a new allegorical mask, improvised by Mr Edmund Falconer, enti►led "The Fairies' Festival on Shakspere's Birthday." In a palace of Fairyland Oberon and Titania are conversing, when Puck introduces a deputation consisting of a poet, an actor, an editor, and a critic. Application is made to the Fairy King and Queen to grant their patronage for a commemoration festival, which is, of course, acceded to. The scene changes to a glade in Windsor Forest, where the commemoration is supposed to take place. The scene is very beautiful, and the music introduced, sung by Misses Poole, Edith Wynne, Cicely Nott, Mr Swift, and others, includes some of the most popular vocal pieces—mostly Bishop's—connected with Shakspere's plays and poems. Both mortals and im mortals fraternise ; and while Miss Poole, as Ariel, sings " Where the bee sucks," from the " Tempest," the scene opens, the statue of Shakspere is discovered, and the cur tain falls. As an impromptu effort this little affair is en• titled to commendation. The theatre was crowded, as indeed it is every night now that "Henry the Fourth" has got midway into its career of success. The selection of plays presented at the Princess's theatre was also exclusively from Shakspere's works. The first part consisted of selections from "As You Like h.' , Mrs. Her mann Vezin won golden opinions for the admirable manner in which she took the part of Rosalind. Next came a selec tion from " The Merchant of Venice," made from the first and fourth acts, and comprising the making of the bond and the trial scene. The principal parts were supported by Mr. Vining, as Shylock, and Mrs. Hermann Vezin, as Portia, and the representation was a very effective one. The next and concluding portion of the entertainment consisted of the " Comedy of Errors,': Mr. Henry Webb and Mr,Charles Webb playing the part of the two Dromios. The front of the Haymarket Theatre was brilliantly illu minated with the poet's name. The entertainments, which were attended by a full and fashionable audience, com menced with the new farce, entitled " An Unlucky Mortal," which was followed by Shakspere's comedy, "Twelfth Night, or What you 'Will." Orsino (Duke of Illyria) was represented by Mr. Howe, Sir Andrew Aguecheek by Mr. Buckstone, Malvolio by Mr. Chippendale, Sir Toby Beloh by Mr. Rogers, Fabian and the Clown by Mr. W. Farren and Mr. Compton, Antonio by Mr. Braid, Olivia by Miss H. Lindley, Viola by Miss Louisa Angel, Sec. The whole performance was of first-rate excellence. The entertain ments concluded with the "Ancient mythological piece of scandal concerning Venus and Adonis." At the Adelphi Theatre the new apropos sketch produced as a Shakspere offering for the festival night, turtle out td be an old acquaintance. Years ago, on the occasion of this purchase by subscription of Shakspere's laouse at Stratford-, on-Avon, the extravaganza was brought out at this theatre: under the title of " Shakspere's House." The oa brieftY is as follows :—An enthusiastic student and lover o f Silas; pore, hearing that the poet's house is to be sold, built es ell to Stratford, becomes purchaser of the house, and go es t . o sleep in the poet's bed-room. The student's dream co.ast,t tutes the gist of the piece. He is visited by Shaksp,,lre ghost, who bitterly complains of the treatment he has re ceived in London lately. A p anoramic spectacle turCee place, and some very admirably p ainted illustrations of the poet's plays are here exhibited , alto g ether with a colas° statute of Shakspere. Mr J. L. Toole played the studeat. in a most The lessees of the Surrey Theatre selected for represents'. Lion on the tercentenary of the immortal Sind spere the " Second Part of Henry the Sixth, or the Wa rs of the A Roses." The play abounds with elegan t sentiment , Witt an' sarcasm. The dramatis personas n umber largely in the deve!opment of the various transaction, and we need °DIY refer to the chief characters. The part of the w iIY plotting Duke of York, and that of the rebel, Jack Cale, were enacted by Mr. James Anderson in a manner which All obtained long-continued and well - me rited a pp lause• the characters were well cast ; the various scenekt an d pageants, with the rabble mob too, were prepared Lit th e best artistic style, and the play was a su ccess. The house was crowded to excess. The tercentenary of Shakspere was celebrated at the Crystal Palace with a special fete. The intkrior of the building presented a remarkably gay, and thoroughly Shaksperian appearance. Besides the wonderful counter part of the humble building at Henley street, Stratford -on- Avon, in which the great dramatist first saw the ligh t, and the newly-formed Shakspere Court, near the Italian Court, examples of the genius of Shakspere were brough t under the notice of the public by some fifty of the beat' known passages from his works with which the centre° transept was surrounded. There was the inauguration of a Shakspere monument, designed by the late Mr. Thomas , and erected on the upper terrace, and a musical entertain ment, performed in front of the house, which consisted chiefly of selections associated with Shakspere, in which Mr. Leslie's choir took part. Shakspereian music will be given during the present week in front of the house, and the presentation to each visitor on Saturday, of a carts di visits copy of a photograph of the house at Stratford- 02r Avon. NEW SHAKSPERIAN SONG.—Among ether music at the Stratford Festival this week, will be a new song, the words from " The Passionate Pilgrim," set by Mr. A• Mellon, for Mr. Santley: COUNTRY MARKETS. YORK—SATURDAY. Farmero have been very busy with out-door work during the past week ; and the sowing of spring corn has proceeded rapidly, the weather being more like June than April. There was rather wore wheat at market to-day, with ouir a moderate demand. Barley ecarce, and at full prices- Oats in limited supply, Beans in fair consumptive demancl and prices firm. Wheat, red 378 to 395 Oats.... lBs to 203 White do .39s to:44s Beans .. ..36s to 38 - Barley .26s to 30s Peas ....—s to - -.4 Malt, 58s to 60s per qr. ; rye, 288 per gr ; flour, 2 84 to 30s per sack. NOTTINGHAM —SATURDAY. A fair show of wheat today, there being a sprinkling of red and white. Trade was limited, and prices is per t lower. The show of barley was small ; finest in demon ( ' at late rates. Oats in fair supply. Beans were scarce' —White wheat, from 39s to 46s ; red wheat, 37s to 42E0 Barley—malting, 30s to 37s , grinding, 27s to 30s. Oati old, at 24s to 30s Od; new, 19 s to 26 5. Beans sold at sai to 42s:per qr. ; new, 34s to 365. Flour, fine, 27s to 30s ; super, 32s to 37s per 20 stone. GRANTHAM—SATunnAY. Old white wheat, 4is to 45s ; red, 38s to 41s per 365 t.; now white, 40s to 44s ; red, 39s to 40s. Malting barloh 33s to 36s per qr ; grinding, 28s to 30s; oats, old, 23s 43 LE I C E ST ER—SATURDAY. New white wheat, 42s to 455; red, 39s to 415 per 3 6 stone. Old red, 38s to 42s per 36 stone. Barley, malting, new, 32s to 36s per qr.; grinding, 27s to 28s ; old oafs, 2:5s to 28s; new oats, 21s to 23s per 24 stone. 13ealit'l old, 40s to 428 per 38 stone ; flour, 265 to 32s per 20 *tone' 265; new, 20s to24s; beans, 34s t0 . 36s ; peas, 34s to 365. NORWICH—SATURDAY. There was a less supply of wheat to-day, but prices were about is per qr cheaper than on this day se'nnightt and little business was transacted. The deliveries of bar' ley were very small, and prices for malting desoription g were almost nominal. White wheat......44s to 47s 1 Red wheat 40s to 3a to 34a Malting barley 3ss to 37s I Chevalier barley...33s Distilling do 29s to 30s I Oats.. 24p to lue Flour, 27s 6d to —s Od per sack from the miller Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS:D U E. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. May 19. via Marseilles May 13. &sail and Cape Verds, by British packet. May 4. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena April 29. Canna, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton May 2. via Marseilles April 26 Falkland Island.: Gibraltar, via Southampton .. April 26. India (Calcutta), l aid Ceylon, via Southampton.. Ma y. 2. via Marseilles.... April 28. India (Bombay), via s' ‘ outhamptou ........ April 26 v i a mcseilles April 21. Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via P0rtuga1.......... Southampton May 4. . April 26. v i a k i :irseilles April 21. Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. .packet..., April 27. by U.S. picket.... by Canadian packet.Apll 2Z W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneritfe Bahamas, via New York .... May 5 . Aexico .. till parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru , A., 1 . .1 2S California. and British Columbia.. pri --- Persons who have been in the habit of paying weekly 811 borrowers of Sewing Machines will do well to apply at 0 0 and become members of Messrs. Watts and Co.'s Sewing Machine Clubs. By so doing they will not only save the money they now foolishly throw away, but at the same tim e secure to themselves the possession of one of the best en d ' most celebrated sewing machines in the world. Every i fl ; formation given on application; or by letter addressed, with a stamped envelope, to Messrs. Watts and Co., 12, Beaufort buildings, Strand, London, W.C., where men. re are en' rolled daily between 10 and 4; Saturdays, 10 and: [ADVERTISEMENT.]—COMUMptiOn, all nervous, bilionh liver, and stomach complaints, in every stage, are only ar t gravatea and accelerated by drugs of every description, 1311..: perfectly curable by Du Barry's health restoring Reva len r: Arabica Food, as proved by thousands of cases which nll7 been considered hopeless. We quote a few.—Cure No. 02+ 914 ' Miss Lange, 18 years of age, cured after the medical men 01'...; abandoned all hopes of her recovery from the last stage u^ pulmonary consumption, with fearful cough, expectoratio n * exhaustion, spitting of blood, perspirations, hollow cheek s " emaciated to a skeleton. She is now, thank God, a perieet l ! healthy, blooming, fleshy girl,—N. Lange, Commissaire n*, Police. Cure, No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Fernier Surrey, of thirty years' diseased hinge, spitting of blood, lig e ! derangement, and partial deafness.—Cure, No. 47,121. AW' Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, Indio atieut gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure, Na 111,816. the Rev. James T. Campbell, Fakenham, Yorfolir of indigestion and torpidity of the liver, which had resisted all medical reatment. In tins, llb, 2s 9d; 21b, 4s 6d; 511: lls ; 121 b, 228; 241 b, 4 0 s. Barry du Barry and Co., No . 7 ',',' Regent-street, London ; also Fortnum and Mason; and ail grocers and chemists in every town of the United Eingd ( l . [ADVERTISEMENT.] - Holloway'S Pills.—Potent Parr fiers.—Hundreds of causes contribute to render the blood impure and thus to produce man's besetting maladies. Thel admirable Pills address themselves at first to expel sJ taints from the vital fluid, and in the second place to resto regularity and harmony throughout the organs of assimilv Lion, secretion, and excretion. Holloway' Pills impro? : the digestive capability of the stomach, and gradually gWhenit strength fairly to appropriate any ordinary food W"" wholesome in quality, and moderate in quantity. Thal Pills act benefically on the liver, kidneys, and bowels 61.3° so constitute themselves the "Protectors" of the dyspeP t n n ervous, low-spirited, and debilitated. Unless digestion 0.11 occasionally corrected by such means, the blood callOt b e pure. Births. BARKER.—On the 22d inst., at 10, The Terrace, Kensior ton-gardens-square, the wife of John E. Barker, B B Cl' l of a daughter. BIGIOT.—On the 22d inst., at Blithfield, Staffordshire, th e Lady Begot, of a son. CURTEIS.—On the 21st inst., at Windmill-hill, Su ssel° the wife of H. M. Curteis, Esq., of a son. HILL—On the 21st inst., at Bayswater, the wife of Georg . Hill, Esq., of a son. Marriages. BONHAM-CARTER—BARING.-011 the 21st inst., at ~trS t' t ton, John Bonham-Carter, Esq., M.P., to Mary , elde t s daughter of the Right Hon. Sir Francis Baring, 138' M.P. TRENCH—MARTINS.—On the 21st inst., at Saint Jalll etea ' Paddington, Captain the Hon. William Le Poer Tre.ll°G.l third son of the Earl of Clancarty, to Harriet M aria Martins, only child of Sir William and Lady _Martme. Deaths. CHANCELLOR.—On the 22d inst., at Old Palace-PAlace° Richmond, Surrey, Edwin Chancellor, Esq. , a g ed 3 " . CATTLEY.—On the 23d inst., at Bagthorpe House, CIO' ham, Lionel S. Cattley, Esq., aged'32. - HlNcocK.—On the 22d inst., at Bayswater, Lieut•-C°ll John Hancock, aged 82. HARRIsoN—Oa the 20th inst., at Braintree, Esti° , It'll° S Harrison, Esq., aged 77. MAUND.—On the 21st inst., at SPndown Isle of B. Mound, F.L.S , late of BrooLusgrove: Worcestershire, aged 74. M'GILL.—On the 21st inst., at Tonbridge, Wallis M.D., aged 51. SEAnnoox—On the 20th inst., at Old Lodge, Springfield, John A.. Seabrook, Esq., aged 22. London: Prbir,ed and rrNished by YFLLLIAJ d ANDRE ;VS, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at T uE Surr O ffice No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the 3avoy, n the cOnnly Of MildiegOX,--Monday, Acril 25, .1801.